Wet Rooms vs Bathrooms: Are Wet Rooms A Good Idea?
Wet rooms are a modern alternative to traditional bathrooms, offering a sleek design and maximizing space. But are they right for every home? This article explores the differences, pros, and cons to help you decide if a wet room is suitable for your next renovation.
Wet room benefits
1. Accessibility
Wet rooms are typically designed without barriers, making them wheelchair accessible and suitable for individuals with mobility challenges.
The absence of steps or barriers reduces the risk of tripping and falling, making wet rooms a safer option, especially for seniors or those with mobility issues.
2. Increased Property Value
Wet rooms are considered a contemporary and desirable feature in homes, adding value to the property if installed correctly. According to expert Paul Gibbens, Property Specialist at Housebuyers4u, wet rooms can add £5000 to the value of your property.
Also, since wet rooms are open, they often require less energy for lighting and ventilation compared to enclosed bathrooms.
Wet rooms are designed with waterproofing in mind, ensuring that water drains efficiently and doesn’t damage the structure of the building, which also adds to the value of your property over time.
With over 300 options to choose from, wet rooms from Assisted Living can be tailored to suit the aesthetic and needs of your home.
3. Easy to Clean
The absence of a shower enclosure or bathtub curtains simplifies cleaning. The entire space can be easily wiped down, reducing the risk of mold and mildew.
Wet rooms are associated with modern and luxurious designs, providing a sleek and stylish appearance, particularly compared to bathrooms with wooden features.
Bathroom benefits
1. Easy of Retrofitting
When comparing wet rooms vs bathrooms, traditional bathrooms are often easier to retrofit into existing homes or spaces, making them a practical choice for renovations.
2. Defined Spaces
Traditional bathrooms have distinct zones for different functions, such as the toilet, shower, and sink, which can contribute to a more organised and structured layout.
3. Splashing Control
The absence of a shower enclosure or bathtub curtains simplifies cleaning. The entire space can be easily wiped down, reducing the risk of mold and mildew.
Wet rooms are associated with modern and luxurious designs, providing a sleek and stylish appearance, particularly compared to bathrooms with wooden features.
Wet room disadvantages
1. Moisture Management
If you are unsure if wet rooms are a good idea, moisture can often deter people. Proper waterproofing is critical in wet rooms to prevent water damage and mould growth. Poor installation or maintenance can result in moisture-related issues over time.
At Assisted Living, our wet rooms have a lifetime product warranty on bathroom products, a 10-year warranty on wet room safety flooring, and a 5 year warranty on wallboards. These guarantees, along with our rigorous aftercare procedures, ensure that moisture is properly maintained, and you face no technical problems, even if it is years later.
2. Cost Considerations
The initial installation cost of a wet room, including proper waterproofing and drainage systems, can be higher compared to traditional bathrooms, depending on the complexity of the project.
However, it is important to consider that this cost will come back in added value to the property over time. If anyone in your household has limited mobility, this will also save money in the long-term, since you will not require spends on accessible reconsiderations further down the line.
3. Installation Complexity
Setting up a wet room can be more complex than installing a traditional bathroom, requiring specialised knowledge in waterproofing and drainage to ensure proper functionality.
At Assisted Living, we are incredibly proud of the installation team that we send out to our customers’ houses. We can have wet rooms installed within 3-5 days, and we also ensure that none of our customers are ever without a toilet during this process.
Bathroom disadvantages
1. Limited Accessibility
Traditional bathrooms with enclosures may pose challenges for individuals with mobility issues or disabilities compared to the open and barrier-free design of wet rooms.
Shower enclosures with doors for example, pose a huge challenge to those with disabilities or limited mobility. Wet rooms however, come with ease of access for the shower, as well as a range of safety features such as slip-resistant flooring.
2. Potential Safety Hazards
The presence of shower enclosures and steps in traditional bathrooms can pose safety hazards, especially for older adults or those with mobility challenges.
Sloping floors, or conventional shower trays can be incredibly hazardous to people with mobility issues, while wet rooms are designed and installed with assistance with mobility in mind.
3. Higher Energy Usage
Enclosed spaces in traditional bathrooms may require additional lighting and ventilation, leading to higher energy consumption compared to the more open and naturally lit wet rooms.
Best option for mobility issues
Overall, a wet room is the best option for mobility issues because its barrier-free design, easy entry and exit, customization options, low maintenance, safety features, and overall accessibility make it a practical and user-friendly choice for individuals with limited mobility.
For further support, our wet rooms at Assisted Living can be equipped with safety features such as non-slip flooring and strategically placed grab bars, enhancing stability and reducing the risk of accidents.
The design of our wet room spaces are user-friendly for people of all abilities and ages, and are used to simplify cleaning and maintenance, to reduce physical effort for our customers, or those who may rely on caregivers for assistance.
Wet room vs bathroom: which is best for you?
Overall it is definitely worth considering a wet room if you have limited mobility, or feel that assistance with mobility will be beneficial for you in the future.
In addition, despite the upfront cost and installation time, the added value of wet rooms makes them a worthwhile investment for your property.
At Assisted Living, we prioritise a comfortable bathing experience for all, which is why all of our wet room solutions are specifically designed with every individual’s specific requirements in mind. Get in touch with us today for a free consultation chat, and we can help you decide whether a wet room is the best choice for you.
